Dyed irrigation water to study the impact of freshwater on bivalve aquaculture in the Delta
December 3, 2021
GOPHYTOVID: Optimisation of the use of plant health products based on plant vigour maps
January 11, 2022The Agricultural Machinery Unit (UMA) of the UPC is coordinating the national project Smart Spraying for Sustainable Vineyards and Olive Trees (PIVOS). The aim of the project is to demonstrate the benefits of smart spraying of plant health products for sustainable use of pesticides in vineyards and olive trees. These benefits include maintaining biological efficacy and reducing economic and environmental costs.
New technologies in the application of plant health products have had a low impact in comparison with the technology that is available for commodity crops. As a result, the high amount of plant health products used, the high risk of contamination and the additional operating costs are the main aspects that characterise the protection of these high value crops.
In this context, the PIVOS project will develop new technologies that will help to improve the process of applying plant health products, through a new smart system of management of the spraying. First, the vegetation will be characterized in a smart way through ground and aerial sensors in the crops. A protocol will be developed to obtain prescription maps of the volume to be applied and the volume of air, which can be used to automatically adjust the quantities to apply. Finally, the results obtained will be tested in the field for validation and quantification of the benefits at agronomic, economic and environmental level.
The project is comprised of a consortium of four universities: the University of Córdoba, the Universitat Politècnica de València, the University of Zaragoza and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC).
PIVOS is funded by the State Research Agency of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and has a duration of three years (June 2020 to May 2023).
Related Projects
- A research team from the inLab FIB at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), together with the Asociación de Personas con Movilidad Reducida (AsoPMR), has taken part in the Spot4Dis project to enhance the mobility and autonomy of people with reduced mobility.
- The La Volta project foresees the construction of a large Catalan vault pergola within the Llars Mundet campus, in the Montbau neighbourhood (Horta-Guinardó district). This structure will become a new architectural landmark for Barcelona, combining traditional construction techniques with contemporary innovation. The project involves the Rehabilitation and Architectural Restoration Research Group (REARQ), at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), and is led by the Architects’ Association of Catalonia (COAC) and the Barcelona Provincial Council.
SATE-VEG: A system for energy renovation of buildings that helps reduce the urban heat island effect
Researchers from the Architecture, Energy and Environment (AiEM) group at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) have developed SATE-VEG, an external thermal insulation system with a vegetal coating that offers seasonally adaptive thermal behaviour, enhances urban biodiversity and promotes positive health effects. The system is made from organic materials, requires low maintenance and consumes minimal water.- A research team from the Interdisciplinary Group on Building Science and Technology (GICITED) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC) is leading the BioSAFE project, which aims to develop sustainable building envelopes —mainly façades— designed according to sustainability, comfort and safety criteria, with particular attention to their acoustic behaviour and fire performance.
